Experience Counts
by InspireFire
Summary: Dawn emerged victorious during the Wallace Cup Pokémon Contest...but is that really what happened? Could May, an experienced Coordinator, really have been defeated by an amateur in the same profession? The true outcome of the final round illustrated in a one-shot, written in the belief that May should have been the victor in the Wallace Cup Contest.


**Author's Note: **Again, this one-shot is written in the belief that May should have been the victor of the Wallace Cup Pokémon Contest instead of Dawn; as the veteran Coordinator, she should have had the upper hand. This is my first time writing with licensed characters, and also my first time writing a one-shot. Hope you guys like it! :)

~Dedicated to Glaceon of the Blue Variety~

* * *

May emerged from the opening, her steps steady and measured, as she had so many times before.

The crowds were cheering, just as they had cheered for Dawn when Marian, the MC, had called her name. The four judges, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, Nurse Joy, and the Gym Leader of Sootopolis City, Wallace—for whom the Wallace Cup had been named—sat off to the side, applauding with the audience. This, too, May was familiar with: the feeling of having hundreds of eyes focused on her, studying her, gauging her skills, and—ultimately—trying to determine whether she could win.

The only thing foreign to her in that moment was the swish of her flowing skirt and that of her veil-like headpiece forming a curtain against her back; dressing up for Contests was a tradition in Sinnoh, and while many chose to clothe themselves in suits and dresses for the occasion, May had decided to put her own spin on things and had donned what could only bluntly be called a gypsy's outfit. She wasn't fond of its appearance, but had worn the costume because it made her stand out. At the same time, the simple attire would repel lingering attention and instead focus it on her Pokémon.

That was what mattered, after all.

May smiled—no clothing, no matter how uncomfortable, could ruin the nostalgic excitement bubbling up in her chest. She and her Pokémon had participated in too many Contests, had won too many Ribbons, and had trained for far too many days for such a small disturbance to ruin their performance.

Her smile only widened as she remembered her first Contest and realized—not for the first time—just how far she had come since then.

_We've got this, _May thought, slowing to a halt.

A semicircular platform protruded out into either end of the large pool before her, its water shimmering in the sunlight that seeped through the top of the stadium. Bleachers packed with people lined the perimeter of the room. Across from the glimmering expanse, standing slightly behind the semicircular protrusion, was Dawn, her opponent, as well as Ash and Brock's new travelling companion.

The young girl's frame was covered in a short, pink ball gown whose umbrella-like skirt just covered her knees. Her midnight blue hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, leaving fringes of it to frame her face. Determination shone in her eyes—May knew she could not be underestimated.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for the final round?"

Marian's amplified voice was nearly drowned out by the crowd's enthusiastic roar.

"Five minutes are on the clock!"

_Here we go, _May breathed, grip tightening around her Poké Ball.

"Then without further ado, let the final match of the Wallace Cup begin!"

A loud horn went off, signaling the start of the match. Dawn's Poké Ball was already sailing through the air as the Coordinator called, "Piplup! Spotlight!"

White light burst from the Poké Ball, followed soon after by a cloud of bubbles that shot outward from its center, summoned by the Seals that had been attached to the mechanical orb. A small, bipedal Pokémon appeared in the middle of it all, flipping in midair before landing steadily on its flat, yellow feet. Most of its body was covered in pale blue feathers, with a darker shade coloring its head and back. Its face was mostly white, save for the short yellow beak that protruded out from its head. The Water type uttered a defiant cry and placed its flipper-like arms on its hips to display its confidence.

_My turn, _thought May with a smile. "Glaceon, take the stage!"

A flash of light accompanied her Pokémon's release, revealing a four-legged Pokémon with ice blue fur. Teal-colored rhombuses adorned the Ice type's back, tail, and the two flap-like appendages hanging just below its ears. Despite the lack of any accompanying Seals, the Glaceon seemed to glow for a moment as the light from the Poké Ball faded, and it uttered an excited yip as it beheld its opponent.

"Let's do this," May murmured, and her Pokémon agreed with a sharp bark.

"Piplup use Whirlpool!" Dawn ordered, thrusting out an arm.

The Water type Pokémon immediately tilted back at its head and summoned a giant vortex of water several times the size of its own body. Then, with a swing of its arms, it sent the formation flying toward Glaceon.

"Mirror Coat!" May responded, almost instinctively.

The Ice type's form shimmered with light as it widened its stance and braced itself for the oncoming impact. The attack easily dwarfed the Eeveelution, and to think that a Pokémon of its size could withstand a blow of that magnitude seemed absurd. But May wasn't concerned; looks were deceiving, and she knew Glaceon was more than capable of deflecting the Whirlpool.

The water fell upon the Ice type with a dull roar, but despite its sheer size and force, Glaceon would not budge. Instead, with a defiant snarl, Glaceon shoved back at the waves with its body. The currents seemed to falter for a moment, and then the Whirlpool was sent crashing back over Piplup, seemingly of its own accord. The Water type squealed in surprise as it was struck.

_Good,_ May thought, grinning. _Now to counterattack. _"Follow it up with a Shadow Ball!"

Glaceon's jaws parted, a nimbus of dark, crackling energy coalescing rapidly between its teeth. Once the orb had grown to a formidable size, the Ice type tossed its head and sent the sphere hurtling to where its target lay somewhat dazed on the platform. A spray of water shot up on either side of the Shadow Ball as it skimmed the pool's surface. Dawn's eyes flashed as she saw the attack, but she had yet to panic.

"Quick! Dodge and spin!"

Shaking itself, the Piplup got to its feet and leapt high into the air, twirling out of harm's way. With a swift order from Dawn, the Water type released a Bubble Beam from its beak, spinning as it descended to create a twister of blue spheres. The attack took but a split second to encompass Glaceon in a dome of bubbles, causing the Ice type to yelp.

May winced—knowing that your Pokémon was in pain was never a pleasant experience, despite the countless battles she had fought. But it was only natural to feel that way—one would have to be sick to _enjoy_ their Pokémon's suffering. Still, May's heart went out to Glaceon, and she knew the feeling would stay with her until the match was over.

In fact, it only made her more determined to win.

"Piplup, use Peck!" cried Dawn from the other side of the stadium.

"Hit it with Secret Power, Glaceon!" May shouted.

The gap between the two Pokémon had already narrowed, with Piplup descending from its previous position in midair. Its beak flashed with light, and then suddenly elongated—a trademark technique. At the same time, Glaceon's form suddenly became enveloped in a sparkling, rosy light as the Ice type charged forward and jumped toward its opponent. For a moment, it seemed the two would collide.

But at the last second Glaceon twisted and evaded Piplup, spinning head over heels to swat the Water type into the pool with its tail. A loud splash echoed throughout the stadium along with the crowd's gasps.

"Nice one, Glaceon!" May called, and was answered with a proud bark.

Quiet settled over the air as everyone anxiously waited to see what would happen. Only ripples were visible on the pool's surface. May stole a glance at Dawn; the Coordinator seemed taken aback, but quickly regained her composure, her mouth hardening into a thin, defiant line as she yelled, "Piplup! Whirlpool!"

A disturbance appeared on the pool's surface, quickly materializing into a twister even larger than the one created at the start of the match. The formation rose from the depths of the pool and washed over the platform on May's side of the arena, sweeping Glaceon into its rotation. The Ice type yelped in surprise. Eventually Piplup emerged as well, the tip of the Whirlpool floating slightly above its open beak.

_Smart, _May thought. Indeed, Dawn may have been less experienced in Pokémon Coordinating, but she was no pushover, and was every bit as determined to win as May was. _There can't be much more than a minute left…she might try to end the match!_

"Bubble Beam!"

The Whirlpool seemed to collapse, its edges curving outward as Piplup's control over it weakened. The attack that followed pierced the epicenter of the waves and struck Glaceon, causing the Ice type to whine in protest. The bubbles then followed the Whirlpool's path, creating an image of a giant, blossoming flower with the waves serving as its petals.

May shared the crowd's awe as "ooh's" and "ah's" pervaded the air, followed by a short applause.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Marian. "What a wonderful come back! How will May respond? And with forty-five seconds left on the clock, will May be able to pull ahead of the competition?"

May vaguely heard the judges make their own comments on the technique and assumed that she and Dawn were nearly neck and neck. A seed of doubt crept into May's heart—could she do it? Forty-five seconds? What if she couldn't? What if Dawn was—

_No, I can do it, _she said firmly in her mind. She took a breath, and suddenly all the anxiety seemed to melt away.

Then she smiled.

How long had it been since she lost her cool during a Contest? Too long ago to remember. For her to nearly do so now was only more proof that Dawn was a formidable opponent, but it would take more than that to shake her.

_No need to worry, _she thought, stealing Dawn's catchphrase. "Glaceon," she called, calmly but loudly, "use Shadow Ball!"

The Ice type had been thrown high into the air from the force of the Bubble Beam, but quickly twisted in midair so that it fell headfirst towards Piplup. A sphere of black, crackling energy shot out from its mouth, accelerated by a slap from Glaceon's tail as it spun head over heels—just like it had before—and struck the Shadow Ball. Piplup, with hardly any time to react, was thrust back underwater, creating another wave that seemed like a second flower emerging from the petals of the first. Dawn's face, previously confident and proud, contorted into one of shock and worry.

"Piplup!" she cried.

"Ice Beam!" May ordered.

A neon blue ray of energy shot out of Glaceon's mouth, striking its target underwater while simultaneously freezing the waves—permanently casting them into a flower-like shape. After a quick command, the Ice type fired an array of ice pellets towards the center of the flower, carving it out and dealing the final blow at the same time. The buzzer went off just as Glaceon landed gracefully on the tip of one of the flower's petals, Piplup surfacing in the flower's center as it did so. Both Coordinators started at the sound in alarm.

_Did I make it? _May wondered, holding her breath.

"And that's it, ladies and gentlemen!" Marian exclaimed. "The Coordinator who wins the Wallace Cup and gets to take home the Aqua Ribbon is…"

Inwardly, May wrestled once more to subdue the doubts that had wormed their way back into her mind. The world seemed to swim around her—the stadium was a blur as it went deathly silent and the audience eagerly awaited the results.

"...May! With her Glaceon!"

May immediately beamed, gasping as she released her pent-up breath.

"Glaceon!" she cried. We did it! And it's all thanks to you!"

The Ice type leaped down from its perch, releasing the ice so that the flower collapsed back into the pool, and sprinted toward her, yipping happily. As she held out her arms to embrace the elated Pokémon, May found herself being knocked to the ground and covered with a series of rapid licks. She laughed, happy that Glaceon was happy.

The crowd erupted into deafening cheers accompanied by a good, minute-long applause. The judges stood and offered their praise as well. After freeing herself from the energetic Ice type, May glanced sparingly toward them—they would award her with the Aqua Ribbon soon enough.

Instead, May let her gaze slide across the pool and linger where Dawn knelt on the platform next to Piplup, murmuring reassurances to the dejected Water Pokémon.

A nostalgic pang in her heart immediately brought back memories of her first loss, and the others that had followed afterward; May's recollections of them were just as vivid as that of her victories, and just as numerous as well. In that moment, she felt as though she were re-experiencing those losses, remembering what it felt like to come so close to and yet be so far from her goal.

"Hey," May called, just loud enough for Dawn to hear. The dark-haired girl looked up, surprised. "You two did great! I'm so glad I got to face you in the final round."

"Thanks," Dawn replied, appearing flustered and lost for words. "But we're nowhere near as good as you."

May paused at her words. They would have been coming out of her mouth not too long ago, too. But she knew from experience that thinking that way would never get anyone anywhere.

"Don't say that," she said, grinning. "We all have our highlights and lowlights. But you can't climb higher without starting at the bottom, right?" Dawn hesitated. "You're a great Coordinator, Dawn, and that was a close match—I almost thought you would win! Don't be so down on yourself, okay? Who knows? Maybe you'll beat _us_ next time!"

For a moment, the Coordinator seemed troubled by what May had said. But after a second, she looked up and returned the smile. In that instant May knew that her encouragement had meant a lot to the younger girl.

"You're right. Piplup and I will try harder next time! That's a promise."

Dawn gathered the Water type up in her arms and was about to exit the stage when she paused. Turning back to May with determination in her eyes, she added, "May…thanks," and then disappeared behind the curtain, a scene May had witnessed only so many times before.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Reviews and any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated. :D Writing one-shots and using licensed characters aren't really my thing, but since I'm just getting back into the habit of writing, I thought this would be a good opportunity to brush up on my writing skills. Hope you guys enjoyed it! And if not, I'm open to your opinions! See you around~

_Revised 7.30.14_

**Credits:  
**I do not own Pokémon nor any of the characters mentioned in this story. All rights belong to The Pokémon Company and its rightful owners.


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